I had been dreaming of hiking the Appalachian Trail for some time. Even as a youth in Boy Scouts, I knew of the AT and thought it would be great to hike some portion of it. Finally, I was able to spend a week on the trail and cover the first 85 miles or so. I am certainly ready to do more in the future if possible. For this trip, it was Jana and I and our son, Nate. In the future, we may take the whole family!

After much anticipation and planning, we met Ron and Meriam, who would shuttle us to Springer Mountain. Ron has been a great friend for many years, and graciously agreed to give up most of his day to get us to the start of the AT. We drove to where USFS 42 crosses the AT at mile 0.9. We were dropped off about 5 PM on Monday the 24th and started hiking to the official start of the AT. We enjoyed the view from the top of Springer, took some photos, and turned around to start our 85 mile section hike. The trail was in good shape, and we had a good pace. Those first few miles had a good grade with few rocks. I ate a Coffee House bar as part of my BackpackGearTest.org testing sequence of the Olympic Granola bars. We stopped at mile 5.1 to see Long Creek Falls at around 7:50 PM, having covered a total of 6 miles in about 3 hours. We decided to camp not far from the falls. We decided to take the Tarptent, since it would hold all 3 of us on the trip. I was also testing a ULA Ohm backpack and Bridgedale bamboo socks. We had Ramen noodles for dinner, which rehydrate rather quickly. Although it had rained hard when driving to the trail, we did not get any rain while hiking or during the night. We camped by ourselves among the giant hemlock trees. I have read a lot about the AT, so I did have some idea of the level of difficulty. Here on day 1, it was actually easier than I had expected, but I knew the trail would not be this easy for long.

We awoke the next morning, Tuesday May 25th, at about 6:15 AM. The temperature was as low as 60 that night. I ate a Honey Almond bar for breakfast, along with our Starbucks Via coffee – great stuff for backpacking. We packed up and left by 7:50 PM. We visited Hawk Mountain Shelter for a quick picture, and then continued hiking. We also ran across an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake that morning as it was crossing the trail. We had lunch at Justus Creek, and enjoyed nice views from Ramrock Mountain. We crossed the highway at Woody Gap and took a quick break there. We filled up on water and there were some decent bathrooms at the highway crossing. We started our steep climb up and over Big Cedar Mountain. We took a blue blaze trail to a fantastic overlook with a large rock area, a fire ring, and plenty of grass for a tent site. Side trails from the AT are marked with blue blazes, while the AT itself it marked with white blazes. It did not appear that this area had gotten much use, even though it was not far from the main trail. We arrived at the overlook about 6:30 PM around mile 21.3 and decided that was enough for the day, having hike 16.2 miles. We saw about 10 people that day. Most would briefly say hello as we passed, but a few would stop for a moment to chat. There was nearly a full moon, giving us wonderful light for the evening. Most interesting however, was the arrival of two dogs, both spaniels. They ran around camp and checked us out. One wore a collar, but neither had tags. We kept expecting an owner to arrive to claim them, but they seemed content to stay at our campsite. The were well-mannered, and laid down in the grass near our tent to sleep for the night. Sometime during the night, the dogs awoke and started barking. They seemed to chase after something in the woods, and the next morning, both were gone, perhaps having protected us from some unknown animal.

Our plan for Wednesday May 26th was to hike to Neels Gap. We had arranged for a cabin there, knowing that we could easily cover the 30 or so miles from Springer in just over two days. It was a great night last night, with the temperature down to about 60 degrees. We stopped at Jarrard Gap for water at a spring. No camping was allowed in the area from Jarrard to Neels Gaps due to bear activity. It was a big climb up Blood Mountain, but we were treated to a lot of rhododendrons that still had some blooms on them. We enjoyed fabulous views from a large rock on top of Blood Mountain where we also ate lunch. We pulled out our map and compass and were pretty sure that we could identify Springer in the distance. We arrived at Neels Gap about 1:40 PM after hiking the 9.4 miles from our last camp, having left at 7:30 AM. My snacks today were Lemon Chamomile and Mocha Mint granola bars. We took the trail from near the Mountain Crossings parking lot through the woods to Blood Mountain Cabins. We rented the chipmunk cabin that had two beds, a bathroom, and a kitchen. We walked back to the Walasi-Yi at Mountain Crossings to resupply our food and for ice cream! It was good stuff, especially after the 80 degree day. We walked back to the cabins to purchase soda, snacks, and frozen pizza for dinner that night. The food and shower were very refreshing.

We left Blood Mountain Cabins on Thursday morning May 27th around 6:45 AM. We knew this would be a longer day, so we started early. We finished off our cold pizza for breakfast on the way back to the AT. We passed a couple of tents at Bull Gap, and had a good pace starting out that morning. We ate lunch at Low Gap Shelter around 12:45 PM, and had more good hiking after lunch. The trail was a bit more rocky as we neared Blue Mountain. We had planned to camp beyond Unicoi Gap, but did not see any mention of decent campsites close by. We called the Best Western in Helen, which was listed in the AT Companion as possibly having a free shuttle. They quoted a $45 / night hiker rate along with a free shuttle, so we opted to do that. We arrived at the highway at 5:50 PM, having covered 20.2 miles that day. We were picked up at Unicoi Gap – watch out crossing the highway there, it can be dangerous! Carol even brought us bottles of water when she came to pick us up. The room and motel were very nice. We showered, washed clothes, and Nate enjoyed the pool. We went ahead and made our Ramen noodle dinner in the hotel microwave, since we had carried the food with us. We walked around town for German food and chocolate. Helen is a Bavarian style town, and is certainly reminiscent of a town in the Alps. It turns out that the town was not German styled at all until the late 60s or so, when the town voted to change their entire look in order to attract tourism and business. It seems to have worked for them.

Friday was a leisurely morning. Carol could not take us back to the trail until 10:30 or so. We decided not to get a taxi and just wait for her to be available. We were back on the trail around 10:45 AM. We passed a ‘ridgerunner’ who told us to avoid Tray Mountain shelter due to a moocher he had run into earlier. From the AT Conservancy website: “Ridgerunners and caretakers are generally seasonal employees assigned to hike and camp along high-use sections of the A.T. or to remain at heavily used overnight sites. The ridgerunner and caretaker program helps promote a quality recreational trail experience by talking to visitors about the A.T. and its intended primitive experience, its location, regulations, and traditions, as well as ways they can minimize their impact on the Trail.” Tray Mountain was quite overgrown and not what we expected. We did have lunch up on Tray Mountain, just past the summit. The views there were minimal. Our knees were feeling weary, probably due to the big miles and climbs of the day before. It was a tough day emotionally as well, but those are to be expected on an extended hike. We passed about 12 boys and a few adult leaders near Dicks Creek Gap. We stopped around 7:15 PM for the night near Moreland Gap. We covered 15.4 miles in about 8.5 hours. There was some lightning to the east, but nothing too close yet. There were a lot of fireflies out for the first time on our trip, and they were very enjoyable to watch as it got dark.

We woke up Saturday, May 29th to a temperature of about 58 degrees. This was going to be our last day of hiking, as Ron would pick us up at Deep Gap later today. We did get some rain the previous night, but it was no longer raining when we got up at 6 AM. We were packed and gone by 7:05, even after breakfast and coffee, so we were getting quicker. I used a light load towel to dry the tent before packing it away, and this worked quite well. It was foggy and damp when we left. We filled up with water at a stream just below our camp on the AT. I had a Coffee Mocha bar for my morning snack. We crossed US 76 at Dicks Creek, and there were a lot of cars there in the parking lot already. The skies did start to clear as we hiked that morning. We crossed the NC/GA state line and continued on to Bly Gap for lunch. We had lunch near the gnarled oak tree – you will know it when you see it. We did pass a scout troop from Georgia that were out hiking to get ready for Philmont. The climb north out of Bly Gap was very tough, perhaps the toughest climb so far on the trail. It was also a tougher afternoon than we had expected, as the trail was very rocky for much of the time. We met Ron at Deep Gap at 4:35 PM, which was still about on schedule. We covered  17 miles this last day in about 9 hours – still a good pace for us.

We made a stop on the way back to Knoxville for dinner, and enjoyed visiting with Ron and family during the couple of hours driving back. We all did well, although it was painful at times on the legs and knees. A very big thank you to my wonderful wife Jana, who was such a good sport in coming along for this AT hike. She is awesome!

I would like to return to the trail in the future. As long as we avoid 20+ mile days, at least on these shorter trips, I think we would be less fatigued. The trail was similar to what I had expected. After hiking the Ouachita and Ozark mountains in Arkansas, we had a good feel for what the trail would be like. Although the climbs were sometimes longer on the AT, the vistas and trail quality were quite similar. I did enjoy the fact that nearly every stream had a log or bridge to cross on, unlike the Arkansas trails. This kept us from having to take off shoes or get them wet when crossing.  For more information on the trail, visit the AT Conservancy website.

We started at the Ozone Trailhead (Mile 86) Friday afternoon around 2:40 PM. We hiked to Owen Creek that afternoon – covering about 6 miles in 3 hours. We had dinner at camp, and were in our tents by about 9 PM. I was testing Olympic Granola bars and had a Honey Almond bar for an afternoon snack. My pack start weight was 17 lb in the ULA Ohm. Jana and all three kids were on this trip as well. The high temperature today was around 85 degrees.

We awoke Saturday morning about 6:30 AM. The low the previous night was about 57 degrees. We broke camp about 8 AM, and crossed Owen Creek at Mile 90.9. We hiked up Lick Creek looking for waterfalls and found slot rock. We could not find Sunset or Discovery Falls, and it appeared that they must be dry. This was about a 2 mile side trip. I ate a Chocolate Peanut bar for my morning snack. We ate lunch at Hobo Falls East (27 feet tall) on our way to Cedar Creek. We found the large emerald pool on Cedar Creek, and the boys spent about 45 minutes swimming in the creek and pool, even though the water was quite cold. We continued hiking toward Gee Creek, and did not find any camping areas until we were at the creek crossing. We camped at Mile 102.3 just before the crossing. Our total for the day was about 15 miles including the side hike. The high temperature today was about 80 degrees.

We were up about 6:30 AM again on Sunday morning.  The low last night was about 65 degrees. We ate breakfast in camp, crossed Gee Creek, and headed down the trail. We hiked to Haw Creek Campground and visited Haw Creek Falls. We continued hiking past the campground to the parking area, and were at our vehicles by 11:15 AM, covering about 3.2 miles this morning.

We had shuttled pickup vehicles to the end point, so we did have to drive the forest roads back to our starting trailhead. After a good meal in town, everyone was doing great.

On the way to the trail head, we stopped by the Turner Bend Store for a couple of fantastic sandwiches, as we did the last time we were through here. We left our vehicle at the Cherry Bend parking area on Highway 23 north of Cass, checked in at the trail register, and headed out around 5:30 PM. We were hoping to get to Hare Mountain, as we knew there was a lot of camping available up there. It was cloudy, breezy, and about 55 degrees when we started out.

We passed a group of about 10 or so scouts and leaders that were setup between mile 38 and 39. We made it to Hare Mountain around 8 PM, and it was already dark. There seemed to be a large group of campers on the mountain and many were even camped down near the start of the spur trail toward the top. It would be difficult to find a camping spot in the dark with so many others, so we decided to move on in search of a less crowded location. We hiked about another mile in the dark with flashlights and came to an area with a lot of pine trees near a logging road – around mile 43.5. We followed the old road away from the trail looking for a place to pitch the tent. A thick layer of pine needles is a great place to sleep, so we found a relatively level spot among the trees and setup the Tarptent. Nate and I planned to sleep under a tarp, while the girls used the tent. But since it was dark and we were not sure where we could setup the tarp in addition to the tent, we all squeezed into the Tarptent, which was supposed to hold three people! The location turned out to be a good choice. We were down off of Hare Mountain and out of the wind. The pine needles made for a soft bed, and the wind through the pine trees was quite soothing. We had covered about 7 miles this first day. The temperature dropped to only about 44 degrees during the night.

We slept in a bit past sunrise, but did get packed up and hiking again around 8:50 AM after we had breakfast. We hiked part way to Spy Rock, but decided to do this on the return trip, so we turned around and continued on the OHT. We stopped about 11:30 at a waterfall near Herrods Creek near mile 47.3. It was a wonderful waterfall in a secluded area, and we ate lunch and rested while we were there.

After lunch we continued on to Briar Branch (mile 53.7) and arrived around 3:30 PM. We had passed Williams Falls, Herrian Mountain, and Indian Creek along the trail today. There was a good campsite near Briar Branch with a nice fire ring. We setup the tarp and Tarptent, and then hiked through the Marinoni Scenic Area and to the jeep road at 54.4. This was a beautiful area with bluffs, waterfalls, moss covered rocks, and lots of beech trees. Nate even climbed out on a natural rock bridge. We returned back to camp and boiled water for our lasagna dinner. The kids played catch with a stuff football we brought. The weather for this day was great – 65 degrees and mostly sunny. The girls were in the Tarptent, and Nate and I were under the tarp. The sky was clear, the stars were out, and the sounds of the stream next to us lulled us to sleep. We had covered about 12.5 miles this second day.

Well, it was clear overnight, and the temperature dropped to 36 degrees. The girls got a bit cold, but mostly due to the down in the quilt shifting to the edges instead of being right over them while they slept. We fixed that for the third night We had our breakfast and coffee and were on the trail by 8:20. This was the turn around point for the out and back hike, so we headed back west toward Herrods Creek when we left camp. We saw two deer not far off the trail – right after Micah asked why we had not seen much wildlife! They were too quick to get their picture. We continued past Indian Creek toward the Spy Rock spur. On this return trip, we intended to take the Spy Rock / Redding Campground loop trail. Our timing worked out great again, because we were able to eat lunch at the waterfall near Herrods Creek near mile 47.3. After lunch, we took the turn toward Spy Rock and hiked to that overlook for a short break.

The views over the hills and into the valley from Spy Rock were great. After Spy Rock, we hiked the east side of the loop down to Redding Campground and arrived about 4 PM. Redding Campground is on the Mulberry River. Each campsite is primitive, but they did have a central bathroom with showers and toilets. We gladly paid the $10 camping fee, and most of us had a shower that night. There was also a group of Boy Scouts there for an annual backpacking event where they hike into Redding Campground. They had a campfire that night at the waterfront area, so we joined them to watch the skits and see awards handed out for scout skill competitions. We had Chili Mac for dinner and covered about 13.5 miles this third day. The first full day (yesterday) was a bit tough on the kids, but they had done just fine today.

We woke up feeling quite rested, and we all slept better last night than the previous two nights. It was only 45 degrees last night, so everyone stayed warm enough. The clouds had moved in, and it was overcast and misting. I met John, who had hiked all of the Appalachian Trail (AT) over 11 years with his two boys. He was about 60, and had finished the last of it the previous year. He loved to talk about backpacking, as do I, so we visited several times that morning. He gave me his card, and offered to send me information via email that might be helpful for the AT hike Jana and I are planning for this summer. We had breakfast, packed up, and were hiking again this morning by around 8:45 AM. Our plan was to hike about 12 miles to mile 39 or so, spend the night, and hike the last few miles out in the morning. We hiked the west side of the Redding Campground loop this time on our way back to the OHT. It never warmed up, and stayed cloudy, windy, and sprinkled some on us all morning. We stopped in a pine forest, as Micah calls them, for lunch. We also took the spur trail to the top of Hare Mountain to see it during the daylight. There were many good tent sites, and we found the hand dug well that was up there. Our hiking pace was very good, and our loads were much lighter with just a few meals of food left, so we decided to hike all the way out today. The weather continued to be cold, damp, and cloudy, so this seemed like a good decision. Everyone hiked well on this last day, and we reached Cherry Bend about 5 PM. We covered about 14.5 miles on this last day, and about 47.5 miles total for the trip. The kids did great and hiked at a good pace for most all of the trip.

Here is an overview of the route. We collected the GPS track with a data logger (Holux M-241). Click to enlarge.

The McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area (NSRA) in southeastern Oklahoma is a very convenient place for us to hike, since it is not far from where we live. The NSRA is located near Atoka and Antlers in Oklahoma, and it offers backpacking, hiking, and equestrian camping opportunities with many miles of trails.

I am working on developing a trail guide for the area, since little information is available. The brief trail map offered at the trail head is generally accurate as far as the trail location, but many of the distances are incorrect. I use a GPS data logger as I hike to correctly measure position and distance along each trail.

When doing a short hike with our kids back in December, the map at the permit station indicated that two new trails had been opened. We were anxious to try them out, and this holiday gave us that chance.

For this hike, it was just Jana and I with a light day pack. Temperatures was 45 to 60 degrees, and it was partly cloudy, which provided very good hiking conditions. From the trail head, we hiked north and then took the South Rim trail.

Before we reached Box Spring camp (near the junction of South Rim and Bog Spring trails), a new trail left toward the east. I will call it the Bog Spring trail, although no name is listed at the permit station. This trail provides much easier access to the east side of the McGee Creek NSRA, which had been a long hike north and around to a couple of camp areas on the southeast corner in the NSRA. The Bog Spring trail was in good condition, and allowed us to hike side by side for much of the trail. This new trail connects to roughly the middle point of the Hog Camp trail, near the equestrian camp E2.

We turned north onto the Hog Camp trail and followed it up until it came to a junction with the Hunters Cabin trail and short trail to the east which went to the east boundary. The boundary trail now is also open around the northeast corner of the NSRA boundary. We did not take this boundary trail, but it looks to be in decent shape and well blazed.

From the junction, we followed the Hunters Cabin trail toward the northwest. You will notice on our map a very small spur trail we took near the middle of the Hunters Cabin trail. This used to go to an old hunting cabin and outhouse. However, the cabin and outhouse have been demolished and removed. The area is now cleared, with two picnic tables and charcoal grills. I wonder if there are plans to put another equestrian camp here, but no information was available. The Hunters Cabin trail was in good shape, mostly double track, and nice hiking.

We continued on the Hunters Cabin trail until we came to the junction with the Coon’s Way Trail. This trail leads to the northern boundary of the NSRA, and it also connects with another trail called Wolf Creek as indicated on the state of Oklahoma map. However, as we hiked the Coon’s Way trail, there were no indications of the Wolf Creek trail, so it apparently is no longer marked or used. After reaching the northern boundary, we returned south on Coon’s Way, back to the Hunters Cabin trail and continued west on it.

Hunters Cabin connects to the northern end of the South Rim trail, and there are good backpacking camping areas there as well (B5 on the state map). We took the South Rim trail south to return us back to the parking area. The South Rim trail is also in good shape, with easy double track hiking through pine trees. The trees at the edge of the Bugaboo Canyon were too tall to see much from the overlook, but it was still very enjoyable as we made good time along the trail.

There had been some rain the previous week, so most of the creeks and streams were flowing, which is somewhat unusual for this area. Water sources are often limited to the lake on the west side of the NSRA, the Box Spring near Box Spring Camp, or the permit station at the trail head.

Our overall hike was 12 miles. We saw a few horses near the trail head, but once on the trail, we did not see anyone at all. Another great feature of the NSRA is the wooded environment. The tree cover helps to keep the hot sun off of you when hiking in the warmer months. The NSRA also does not have large elevation changes, so hiking with your family or kids would be an option as well.

Click on either graphic below to see a larger overview of our route on either a topographical or satellite map.

Happy Trails,

Shawn

We decided to take advantage of the trip out and the great weather to get in some good hiking in the Phoenix area. First, we stopped by the Arizona Hiking Shack. The helpful folks there provided some great advice. They also sell maps and other hiking and adventure gear. The Shack is well worth a stop when in Phoenix.

Our first hike was at the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area. We wanted to get high enough for some great views of the area, so the Summit Trail to Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak) was our trail of choice. This 1.1 mile (one way) trail from the parking area to the summit at 2608 feet was steep but manageable. We saw people of all ages hiking up and down from the summit. As you can see in our photos, the view from the summit was great!

For our second hike that day, we chose a trail with less elevation change, but very representative of the desert environment and landscape. The North Mountain Preserve area offers some trails to higher peaks, but many of the trails are fairly level. This allows hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers of all ages to enjoy the desert surroundings. We hiked portions of a few trails resulting in a 2.35 mile outing in this park.

Between the previous two hikes, we stopped by REI for some quick bargain hunting (I’m in the market for new trail runners). The next morning, we headed to the west side of Phoenix. White Tank Mountain Regional Park on the west side of Phoenix offers 25 miles of trails ranging from less than a mile to about 8 miles in length. The nearly 30,000 acres include peaks rising to about 4000 feet from the desert below. We would have loved to hike some of the longer trails in the White Tanks, but due to time restraints could not do lot of hiking that morning. We decided to try out the Mesquite Canyon trail. Although the trail can be hiked for many miles, we ended up doing a 2.1 mile round trip hike. The morning air was cool, and the sun was shining. Once we started up the canyon, it felt like civilization was far away.

We had a great few days in the Phoenix area, and we would love to have had more time for hiking and shopping We discovered Trader Joe’s food store, and we ended up buying a bag to carry back some of the items we purchased there! We bought a daypack by ChicoBag. It is a uniquely designed daypack made of 89% recycled content, and it weighs less than 6 oz. Not far from Phoenix, Arizona are many other hiking opportunities including the Prescott National Forest and Coconino National Forests north toward Sedona and the Tonto National Forest northeast of Phoenix.

Happy Trials,

Shawn

Birds are common along the trail, and waterfowl can be frequently seen on Dick’s Pond, including herons, ducks, and geese. This is an easy family hike and taking children along for the hike is not a problem. The trail has minimal elevation change, and the wooden walkway and overlook provide an interesting break in the hike.

Travertine Creek, a major park feature, is fed by many springs, some of which are mineral and sulphur water springs. Our hike followed Travertine Creek toward the east from the Travertine Nature Center. We hiked a total of nearly 4 miles on trails including the Antelope and Buffalo Springs Trail, the Prairie Loop Trail, the Tall Oaks Trail, and the Dry Creek Trail.

The trail to Antelope and Buffalo Springs is a wonderful, wide, and easy walk. These two springs produce a flow of about 5 millions gallons a day that flows into Travertine Creek. Branching off of the Antelope and Buffalo Springs Trail are 3 other trails to allow a wide range of hiking distances to be taken.

Buffalo Springs has a circular rock walkway and seating built around it (by the CCC), while Antelope Springs is unaltered, coming directly out from the rocks in the hillside.

The Prairie Loop Trail crosses the Travertine Creek and up the hillside into an area that once was a large mixed grass prairie. Most of the dominant vegetation  now is hardwoods and cedar.

The Tall Oaks Loop Trail also crosses the creek and meanders through an area with stands of cedars and hardwoods, including oaks, elm, sycamore, and others.

The Dry Creek Trail crosses a large rock bridge built by the CCC and up through limestone covered slopes and into an area with patches of mixed-grass prairie and invasive cedars.

Nearly all of these trails are in the shade under wonderful hardwoods, and the proximity to the creeks provides a cool walk in the morning hours, even in the summer time.

I have hiked this area many times, and there is always something new to see. Our trip today did not provide any views of big wildlife, but we did encounter several turtles, frogs, and small snakes. If you are ever near the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, it is definitely worth a visit. The spring-fed creeks are even good for wading and a few deeper swimming holes are waiting to be enjoyed.

Happy Trails,

Shawn

This trip was the first backpacking trip with all three kids, and they would be carrying much of their own gear. We were in Grand Teton National Park for a total of 10 days, and we had already done several day hikes before this trip to get acclimated. This overnight trip began at the String Lake trail head. Backcountry permits are required for overnight stays in the Grand Teton National Park backcountry, and we had picked up our permit the day before for the one campsite (#18) at Trapper Lake. The hike to Trapper Lake is relatively level and 4.5 miles from the trail head to the campsite. The minimal elevation change makes this a great trip for families with kids or for those new to backpacking.

We left the trail head Friday afternoon, June 12, and the weather was cool and pleasant. Jana and I regularly use trekking poles (Backpacking Light Stix for her and Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 for me), so as we hiked the kids decided they wanted a hiking stick too. As we continued hiking, they looked along the trail for that perfect stick – and this gave them something interesting to do as we went along. The boys both had sticks selected in just a short time. (Note: In an effort to ‘Leave No Trace’, the sticks were dead wood found along the trail on the ground, and the next day the sticks were left near the trail not far from where they were found.) Something else that kept them interested was to take turns letting one of the kids lead the group. An adult was always second in line to help watch for bears and other wildlife, but they certainly enjoyed taking their turn at the front of the line.

The hike followed the shore of String Lake, then along the shore of Leigh Lake. It went around Bearpaw Lake, and then finally ends at Trapper Lake. Being so close to several lakes allowed for great views over the water and into the woods, and the kids look for and saw several different birds and small animals. We bought each child a disposable camera for the trip so that they could take pictures of anything that they wanted without risking damage to our nice digital camera. Giving them control and letting them make choices in this way allowed them to feel more in control of their experience.

All three of our kids weigh under 100 pounds right now, so we kept their pack weights low. The lightweight backpacking philosophy works so well for Jana and I that it only makes sense to help the kids go light. They each have their own pack – the women’s size small GoLite Jam2 pack – which is a good size for their body right now, and their empty pack weigh less than a pound. I have seen so many "kids" packs that weigh three, four, or five pounds, and it just does not make any sense to me to start with an empty pack that is so heavy. We found synthetic sleeping bags for them at around 2 pounds (and under $100) for a 35 degree bag. This is a lightweight bag, but is still durable and inexpensive. As they get more experience and do more backpacking, then we can look into a lighter down bag. So, they carried their backpack and sleeping bag, along with a coat, jacket, poncho, base layer, extra clothes, LED light, and water bottle. Even with this amount of gear, their total pack weights were still under 8 pounds, or less than 10% of their body weight. Jana and I are just over 10% of our body weight with our pack (fully loaded with 3 days of food and water, so keeping them under 10% of their body weight was a good target. I have read other sources stating that kids can carry 20 to 25% of their body weight, but with a 20 or 25 pound pack, they would almost certainly be miserable. Jana and I carried their sleeping pads, both tents, cooking gear, and all of the food. These light packs let all of us travel faster and more comfortably – ultimately increasing our enjoyment of the trip. We covered the 4.5 miles to Trapper Lake in about 3 hours – not a bad pace with kids.

On the way to Trapper Lake, we stopped on the shore of Bearpaw Lake to boil water for dinner. Our philosophy has been to eat dinner on the trail before reaching our campsite for the night. This keeps food and cooking odors away from camp, and greatly reduces the likelihood of bears or other wildlife being attracted to our campsite. We let the kids pick out which Mountain House dinners that they wanted before we packed for the trip. This was a way to include them in the trip planning process, and it helped to avoid cooking something they did not want to eat. They also each have their own spork, in their color choice. This lets them have equipment that they feel like is their own.

As we hiked past String Lake, Leigh Lake, and Bearpaw Lake, we had great views of the Teton Range. But, we really enjoyed seeing Trapper Lake and camping there. The small lake is at the base of a mountain, and it has a stream with a couple of small waterfalls that runs into the lake. It was just a wonderful, beautiful setting. It is also very secluded, being the last campsite on the trail, so we did not see anyone else during our time at Trapper Lake. Two beavers were active and swimming all around the lake – our kids affectionately named them Roseanne and Clark. Several Canadian geese were at the lake when we arrived. The kids really enjoyed being able to explore the area around the lake and near our campsite. This gave them some freedom after being restricted to the trail for the previous several hours.

We took a card game with us, so as it got darker and the mosquitoes came out, we all went into the larger tent to play cards for an hour or so. This allowed the kids to wind down and gave all of us a chance to enjoy being together as a family. It was a relaxing end to our day of hiking. I would suggest to others that are planning a family camping or backpacking trip to take a game or cards or something for the kids to do in case you need to spend some time inside a tent due to weather or darkness.

Although there are 5 of us, we are able to fit into two tents. We have an older Kelty Teton 2 tent that weighs about 4 pounds – this was a tent we bought sometime back when we started backpacking again. At about $100, it is a good first tent that does not weigh too much. We also have a Tarptent Rainshadow 2. We purchased this tent when we transitioned to lightweight. It weighs around 2.5 pounds and is a cross between a tent and a tarp – basically a tarp with netting and a floor. It can sleep three people if they are not too large. With this setup, we can sleep our family of five. The boys used the Tarptent, and the girls were in the Kelty Teton 2. I used a Therm-a-Rest Neo Air pad with a sleeping bag, and the boys used foam pads and sleeping bags. The girls used our Jacks R Better Mt Rogers down quilt and silk sleeping bag liners – this is the lightweight setup that Jana and I use when we are by ourselves.

We woke up early Saturday morning (June 13), since it started getting light quite early. I think that waking up early and getting on the trail early are some of my favorite things about backpacking. After getting up, the kids enjoyed watching several Pikas scampering around the rocks near camp. We made breakfast (bagels and hot chocolate), broke camp, and were on the trail by 7:30 AM. We enjoyed wonderful views of the mountains across Leigh Lake and arrive back at the trail head around 10:30 that morning. The kids really enjoyed the trip and had a positive experience – so it was certainly a success in my book. I always want them to have a great time in the outdoors, so that they will want to go backpacking, hiking, or camping again.

Jana and I were testing some new equipment on this trip. The most interesting new item was the StickPic. The StickPic is an ingenious device to let you take self-portraits with your camera at the end of an extended trekking pole. After using it, I said to myself "Why didn’t I think of that!" It works great. You simply attach the StickPic to the threaded tripod mount on your camera, attach the StickPic and camera to the bottom of your trekking pole, set the camera’s timer, and hold the pole at arms length. You can get a picture of everyone in your hiking group, or you can get a picture of yourself even if you are hiking solo. The other item that Jana and I were testing was the Montbell Extremely Light Down Jacket. Knowing that it would be cold in GTNP in early June, we had been searching for a warm down jacket that was also lightweight. After some research and looking, we both purchased one. These jackets worked very well. They kept us warm, but stuffed small and weighed 4 to 6 ounces, depending on the gender and size.

I carry a GPS data logger on our trips, so here is the track displayed over a topographical map.

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic trip – both for us, and for the kids.

Happy Trails,

- Shawn

My goal is to provide useful information for anyone interested in camping, lightweight backpacking, or family trips. Sometimes all three can even be combined for a family camping and backpacking trip

I will work hard to provide useful gear reviews on affordable equipment. I will post trip reports and trip planning information. I will report on camping with kids, backpacking with kids, and travelling with kids.

There are so many great things to see, so let’s get outside and enjoy ourselves.

Happy Trails.

- Shawn Wakefield